Tools for applying pronged fastenings and other components



Nov. 30, 1965 M. s. BOSHIER TOOLS FOR APPLYING PRONGED FASTENINGS AND OTHER COMPONENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1963 INVENTOR! NS. Boshier ATTQRNESS f Nov. 30, 1965 M. s. BOSHIER TOOLS FOR APPLYING PRONGED FASTENINGS AND OTHER COMPONENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1963 INVENTOR: MS. Bos/ uler AT'TQILNEBS Nov. 30, 1965 M. s. BOSHIER 3,220,628

TOOLS FOR APPLYING PRONGED FASTENINGS AND OTHER COMPONENTS Filed May 14, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR:

M5. Bog/vie! mfwmxh g ATT OVLNEHS TOOLS FOR APPLYING PRONGED FASTENINGS AND OTHER COMPONENTS Filed May 14, 1965 Nov. 30, 1965 M. s. BOSHIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVE NTOR:

United States Patent 0 3 220,628 TOOLS FGR APPLYIlsiG PRONGED FASTENINGS AND @THER CGMPONENTS Malcoim Stuart Boshier, Herne Bay, Kent, England, assignor to Thomas Walker Limited, Birmingham, England a British company Filed May 14, 1963, Ser. No. 30,410 Claims priority, appiicatiou Great Britain, May 15, 1962, 18,733/62; May 30, 1962, 20,883/62; Aug. 10, 1962, 30,766/62 3 Claims. (Cl. 227-15) This invention relates to tools and machines for applying pronged components to cloth and other flexible material. By pronged components we means components having prongs by which the components can be secured to cloth or other material by forcing the prongs through the material and bending them over.

It is sometimes necessary, e.g., in garment manufacture, to attach fastening components to pockets or sleeves. As an example we refer to trouser and skirt waistbands which are often fitted with book and eye or staple fastenings. The outer layer or layers of cloth and the lining of such waist-bands define narrow pockets. As will hereafter appear, the invention is primarily (but not solely) concerned with tools and machines for this type of Work.

Fastening components which are much in favour in garment manufacture are of pronged form and they are applied by forcing the prongs through the material of the garment and over against a back-plate so that the material is gripped between the pronged component and the said plate. When applying such fastening components to waistband pockets as above referred to, the bending of the prongs has to be performed within the pocket so that conventional flat-bed clenching presses are unsuitable.

For applying these pronged fastening components to garment pockets of small size it is known to use a press tool having its anvil formed on a mandrel which can be inserted into the pocket, but the forces transmitted to the mandrel when the pronged member is driven through the material and against the anvil make it necessary to arrange for additional support of the mandrel during the operation of the Press.

The present invention utilises the principle of wiping the prongs of a pronged component against the back-plate after they have penetrated the material, and provides, inter alia, apparatus by which conventional pronged fastening components can be very quickly and efficiently applied in this way to waistband pockets and without the same personal accident hazards which attend the operation of heavy clenching presses.

For applying pronged components to pockets formed by cloth or other flexible material, the present invention, broadly defined, comprises any tool or machine having a composite arm which is supported cantilever fashion so as to be insertable into a said pocket and which includes one or more parts capable of supporting a back-plate for a said pronged component within a said pocket while the prongs of a said component are caused to penetrate through a wall of the pocket and past such plate and also includes one or more parts movable relative to a plate when supported as aforesaid, for folding such prongs against the plate, said prong-folding part or parts being operatable from the inner end of the arm.

'ice

In the development of the present invention it was found that the prongs of a conventional pronged fastening component, after penetration of the cloth, can be folded against the back-plate by a part or parts receiving a bodily and linear displacement in a plane parallel or substantially parallel with the plate. It was moreover found that by appropriate shaping and arrangement of its prong-contacting face or faces such a linearly displaceable part can be made to fold two or more prongs in different directions in the course of the displacement. This proves to be of considerable potential importance for the simplicity and reliability of the tool or machine design. The prong-folding may be achieved merely by a slide operating in a guideway, e.g., a guideway of dovetail section. If desired, this guideway can serve as the back-plate support, so that a composite arm for inserting into a waistband pocket can consist of a guideway and a slide.

The idea of folding the prongs by a part or parts moving linearly parallel with the work can be applied with advantage to so-calied fiat-bed tools and machines, i.e., tools and machines for applying pronged components to pieces of cloth or other material spread out on a flat work-surface.

The present invention therefore includes any apparatus suitable for use in applying pronged components to cloth or other flexible material, comprising a work support, means within the compass of such support for locating a back-plate while prongs of a pronged component are caused to penetrate through the Work and past such plate, and one or more parts bodily and linearly displaceable beneath and in a plane parallel with or substantially parallel with the work support surface, for folding such prongs against the plate.

While the invention is concerned primarily with the application of pronged hook and eye fastening components and is particularly described with reference to that use, it is to be understood that the invention can be embodied in machines and tools for applying other types of pronged components.

Preferably however, apparatus to the invention comprises means for holding a pronged component, e.g. a pronged hook component, a pronged staple component or both such types of component, this holding means and the back-plate support being mounted for relative displacement for bringing a pronged component and base-plate into correct relative positions preparatory to folding of the prongs of the pronged component. Preferably the part or parts for supporting a back-plate are fixed and the pronged component holder is mounted for movement towards and away from such part or parts. Also, it is preferred for the relative movement of the pronged component and back-plate holders, and the movement of the prong-folding part or parts to be under the control of a mechanism which brings about such movements in correct timed sequence and ensures that the pronged component is maintained firmly held against the work while the prongs are folded against the back-plate. Prong-folding may commence during insertion of the pronged component through the work and completed subsequently by movement of the prong-folding part or parts parallel with the back-plate, or prong-folding may commence only after the pronged component has been fully inserted.

In both types of apparatus according to the invention, i.e. both in cantilever arm and fiat-bed apparatus, many different forms of prong-folding slide are possible and various specific examples will hereafter be given. It will be clear that the choice of construction must largely be influenced by the form of pronged components to be applied. Some pronged hook and eye components used in garment manufacture have a pair of prongs which are foldable inwardly point to point. Other available types of pronged fastening components comprise three prongs mutually disposed as are the apices of an isosceles triangle and foldable two prongs in one direction, either towards or away from the other prong, and the third prong in the opposite direction. These and other types of components may be applied by apparatus according to the invention having a prong-folding slide or slides of appropriate shape.

Normally, back-plates for pronged fastening components as above referred to have apertures through which the prongs pass, but a back-plate can be formed with peripheral notches for passing the prongs, the latter being folded inwards about peripheral edges of the plate. The back-plate support of apparatus according to the invention may be formed with a locating recess or recesses for receiving a back-plate of particular shape and size or with recesses or other locating means for receiving any of two or more different patterns of back-plate. For example a guideway for a prong-folding slide or slides may comprise spaced parallel members or portions with locating recesses in their upper faces for receiving opposed marginal portions of a back-plate when this is in an orientation appropriate to the direction or directions in which prong-folding is to take place. As an alternative, a back-plate locating recess may be provided in a top plate on the guideway. The back-plate should be supported in a plane close to the said slide or slides.

A tool or machine according to the invention may be constructed so as that it can apply two or more prongedcomponents simultaneously and the spacing of the components may be adjustable. Thus the tool or machine may comprise a back-plate support with spaced locations for two or more back-plates and a holder for holding a corresponding number of pronged components at a spacing corresponding with the selected spacing of the backplates. Folding of the prongs of the different pronged components may be achieved by the same or by different prong folding means.

The pronged component holder or holders (when provided) may e.g. act magnetically or mechanically to hold a component, and may be constructed for holding both hook components and eye components, or different holders for such different components may be provided for interchange, so that both hook and eye components can be applied by one and the same apparatus.

Various tools or machines according to the invention, selected by way of example only, and their mode of use, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows part of the front of a trouser garment fitted with pronged fastening components.

FIGURE 2 (comprising views a, b and shows the hook component and its associated back-plate before and after connection;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of a tool according to the invention with one part of the tool casing removed to show the mechanism,

FIGURE 4 (comprising views a, b and 0) shows a pronged component holder forming part of the said tool,

FIGURE 5 shows the back-plate support and associated prong-folding part of the tool,

FIGURE 6 is a view in cross-section on the line VI- VI of FIGURE 5 during use of the tool;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of an alternative type of pronged hook component and its companion backplate,

FIGURE 8 is an under-plan view of the back-plate 4 shown in FIGURE 7 after the pronged hook component has been secured thereto;

FIGURE 9 is an end sectional view of the back-plate support of another tool according to the invention with a back-plate and pronged component as shown in FIG- URE 7 in position ready for folding of the prongs,

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a prong-folding slide of the tool which is the subject of FIGURE 9,

FIGURE 11 is a plan view of the back-plate support shown by FIGURE 9, with the prong-folding slide of FIGURE 10 in position within such support,

FIGURE 12 is a sectional elevation on line XIIXII of FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a plan view of the back-plate support and associated prong-folding slide of a third construction of tool according to the invention,

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view of an end of the slide shown in FIGURE 13,

FIGURE 15 (comprising views a, b and 0) shows the support and slide which are the subject of FIGURES 13 and 14 at three different stages in the operation of the tool;

FIGURE 16 (views a, b and 0) shows another type of hook component and companion back-plate before and after connection,

FIGURE 17 is a perspective view of part of a tool for applying components as shown in FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18 shows part of the operating mechanism of the tool shown in FIGURE 3, modified for automatic operation;

FIGURE 19 shows part of the cantilever arm of another tool according to the invention;

FIGURE 20 is a perspective view of part of a fiat-bed type tool according to the invention.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show the type of work for which the tools illustrated in the drawings (with the exception of the tool shown in FIGURE 20) are particularly intended. At the front of a pair of trousers the waistband is at one end extended into a flap to the inside of which a hook component H is secured. When the waistband is fastened the hook H is recevied by an eye component E secured inwardly of the other end of the waistband. The book H is a pronged component and in order. that the prongs will not be visible they are folded between the outer cloth of the garment and a lining strip L. The lining strip L is stitched in place before the hook component is attached and this involves the need for a hook applying tool part of which can be received within the pocket or sleeve formed by the outer cloth and the lining. The open end of this sleeve or pocket is located some 5" from the free end of the waistband flap and the insertable part of the tool must reach down to the closed end of the pocket from this open end of the sleeve so that the hook component can be secured adjacent the flap end.

The eye component E of the fastening is also a pronged component and the prongs of that component have also to be folded within the confines of a pocket formed by the outer cloth of the garment and the lining.

The hook component H is shown in detail in view a of FIGURE 2. The component has two abreast front prongs 1 and a central rear prong 2. View b of FIGURE 2 shows the back-plate which is used in conjunction with the hook component. This back-plate 3 has two apertures 1 for receiving the prongs 1 of the hook component and a central aperture 2' for receiving the rear prong 2. The back-plate has to be looted within the waistband pocket above referred to, in correct position adjacent the end of the waistband flap, prior to insertion of the component H through the lining L, so that during this insertion the hook prongs pass through the appropriate apertures of the back-plate. The hook component is anchored by the prongs being folded against the back-plate so that the lining L is clamped between the hook component and the back-plate. The two prongs 1 fold forwardly and the central prong 2 folds rearwardly. The folded portions of the prongs are accommodated in recesses 3' in the bottom of the back-plate so that they do not project from the bottom surface of the plate.

By means of the tools now to be described the prongs are folded against the back-plate by a wiping action after full penetration of the lining.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 3 to 6 showing a tool according to the invention for applying the pronged fastening components H. The basic parts of the tool which is shown in side elevation in FIGURE 3 are firstly a composite arm including a strip or blade-like part 4 which extends cantilever fashion from the machine frame so as to be insertable into a waistband pocket as above referred to and which serves as a support for a pair of back-plates like plate 3 shown in FIGURES 2a and 2b; secondly a head 5 which is fitted with two holders 6 for a pair of pronged hook components like component H shown in FIGURES l and 2, and which is movable towards the part 4 to cause the prongs of the held hook components to penetrate the work and to pass through the apertures of the back-plates; and thirdly a prong-folding slide (not apparent in FIGURE 3) which forms part of the aforesaid composite arm and is movable within the backplate supporting blade 4 for causing folding of the hook component prongs. It should be explained that the tool is provided with two holders 6 and with facility for holding two back-plates because garment waistbands are sometimes fitted with a pair of hook and eye fastenings. If only one hook component is to be applied to a garment, as in FIGURE 1, only the forward holder 6 (i.e. the lefthand holder in FIGURE 3) and the corresponding location for a back-plate on blade 4, are used. Before describing the mechanism for operating the tool head and the prong-folding slide, the construction of the basic parts of the tool will be described with reference to FIGURES 4 to 6.

The two pronged component holders 6 of the tool are identical and one of them is shown in detail in FIGURE 4. FIGURE 4a is a side view of the holder, FIGURE 41) is a similar view showing the holder open and a pronged component about to be released and FIGURE 40 is an end view of the holder in closed position and loaded with a pronged component. The holder comprises a block 7 on which a clamping plate 8 is pivoted so that it can be rocked from the FIGURE 4a position into the FIGURE 4b position. A torsion spring 9 tends to hold the clamping plate in its closed position shown in FIG- URE 4a. A hook can be inserted by sliding it into position from one side of the holder (the left-hand side in the aspect of FIGURE 40). A part of the hook tongue passses between the clamping plate and the block 7, while the base portion of the hook from which the prongs extend lies in front of such plate. The hook is pushed into the holder until one side of the hook abuts the inner face of the side lug 1% which is one of two side lugs which extend upwardly from the clamping plate and by which the plate is pivoted to the block 7. In this position the hook is positively located against forward or backward displacement since the front bend of the hook between its tongue and its said base portion lies against a front plate 11 secured to the front of the block 7. The torsion spring 9 causes the hook tongue to be clamped between the clamping plate 8 and the lower face of the block 7.

The back-plate supporting blade 4 of the tool which can be inserted into a garment waistband pocket forms a guideway for a prong-folding slide 12 (FIGURES 5 and 6). The holder is of channel form defining a dovetail guideway 4a and recesses 13 are formed in the upper face of the member for locating a pair of back-plates at a spacing appropriate to the spacing at which hook components are held on the tool head 5. One back-plate 3 is indicated in broken line in the right-hand recesses in FIGURE 5.

The front end of the slide 12 has two abreast sloping faces 14 for folding the abreast forward prongs 1 of the hook, and a slot-like aperture 15 is formed centrally in the slide near this end and has a sloped end wall 16 for folding the central rear prong 2. At the location of the other back-plate the slide is formed with two side edge recesses 17 and a central slot-like aperture 18 and faces of such recesses and aperture fold the prongs of the other book component in the same way as the faces 14 and 16 at the front of the slide.

In order to apply hook fastenings to a waistband pocket, two hook components are fitted in the holders 6, two back-plates are located on the blade 4, the waistband pocket is drawn over this blade until the outer end of the blade reaches to the bottom of the pocket, and the tool is operated by a lever as will presently be described. This operation causes the tool head 5 to swing downwardly so that the prongs of the hook components pass through the lining of the pocket and through the appropriate apertures in the back-plates, and causes the slide 12 to reciprocate and thereby to fold the prongs against the bottom faces of the back-plates. FIGURE 6, which will now be referred to, shows a stage in the operation of the tool. As the front hook component moves downwardly and its prongs penetrate the waistband lining and pass through the holes in the back-plate, the two forward prongs 1 strike against the sloped faces 14 of the slide 12 and become bent slightly forwards. The rear central prong 2 enters the aperture 15 adjacent the aperture face 16. When the hook component has been fully lowered by its holder into the position shown in FIGURE 6 the slide 12 receives a forward motion by which the faces 14 of the slide wipe the forward prongs 1 into their fully folded positions while the rear prong 2 remains unfolded, being disposed within the aperture 15. Then the slide receives a reverse motion, past its original position, so that the aperture face 16 wipes the rear prong upward into the appertaining recess in the bottom of the backplate. Finally the slide is returned to its original position to allow the cloth with the fastenings attached to be withdrawn from the composite cantilever arm of the tool.

The mechanism by which the tool parts are operated will now be described with reference to FIGURE 3.

The tool head 5 to which the holders 6 for pronged components are fitted is connected by a hinge pin 19 to the lower fixed portion of the tool frame. The lowering of the head to move the pronged components through the work and the back-plates is effected by a cam 20 which is turned about an axis 21 by a hand-lever 22. As the hand-lever 22 is moved in the direction of the arrow the high part of the cam rocks a lever 23 clockwise in the aspect of FIGURE 3 about its pivot pin 24 and this lever, being linked to the head 5 by a tie bar 25, pulls the head downwardly against a compression spring 26. The cam 20 is shaped so that after the pronged component holders 6 have moved into correct final positions in relation to the back-plate supporting blade 4, the holders 6 do not move during continued turning motion of the hand-lever 22. Such continued motion of the handlever however causes the prong-folding slide 12 to be reciprocated for folding the hook prongs as above described. For this purpose the slide is connected by an articulated jointing 27 to an arm 28 which is rockable about an upper pivot pin 29 and has a slot 36 formed therein into which intrudes a roller or pin 31 attached to one face of the cam 20. The slot 30 is shaped so that during the said continued turning motion of the handlever 22 the pin 31 travelling in the slot, causes the arm 28 to rock first clockwise and then anti-clockwise in the aspect of FIGURE 3, so moving the slide first forwardly from its initial position and then rearwardly past its initial position to cause the folding of the three prongs of each hook. Return of the lever 22 to its illustrated position returns the slide to its original position and also raises the head 5. As the head rises, the hook components, which are now anchored to the base-plates and cannot rise due to the blade 4 being within the waistband pocket,

7 cause the clamping plates 8 of the hook component holders to rock into the position shown in FIGURE 4b, and forward movement of the work to slide it off the holder 4 disengages the hooks from their holders.

By reference to FIGURES 7 to 15 examples of the application of the invention for attaching two-pronged fastening components with inwardly folding prongs will now be described.

FIGURES 7 and 8 show a two-pronged hook component and its companion back-plate before and after connection. The back-plate 3a is in this case formed on its under side with a depression 3a in which the folded portions of both prongs are commonly received. For applying such a fastening component, a tool may be used which corresponds in all essentials with the tool which is the subject of FIGURE 3, save in the construction of the prong-folding member. FIGURES 9 to 12 show the backplate supporting blade and prong-folding slide of a tool by which a component as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 can be applied and which in other respects can be regarded as similar to the machine represented by FIGURE 3. The back-plate supporting blade 4c is formed with a dovetail guideway 4a for a prong-folding slide 120. The upper face of the blade 40 is formed at the appropriate position with locating recesses for a back-plate and at this position a recess 4b is formed in the bottom of the guideway 4a so that when a hook like component H in FIG- URE 7 is inserted through the supported back-plate as shown in FIGURE 9, the prongs 1 extend into the said bottom recess. The free end of the slide 120 (FIGURES 10 to 12) which folds the prongs while the back-plate and hook component are held as shown in FIGURE 9, is shaped to provide two tapering fingers 12a which when the slide is advanced, pass to the outside of the prongs 1. The converging inner face of the fingers 12a ride against the prongs and fold them progressively upwards until they lie flat against the back-plate. Accordingly, prong-folding is commenced and completed in a single movement of the slide. The force which has to be exerted on the slide is such as could if required be exerted by direct hand pressure, i.e. without a lever or lever system.

A prong-folding slide as in FIGURES 10 to 12 can be used for folding the prongs of different patterns of pronged component, e.g., a hook component having three prongs arranged in triangular formation, i.e. having two opposed inwardly foldable prongs and a third prong which is foldable in a direction normal to the plane in which the others fold. Thus if in the aspect of FIGURE 11 a said hook component is disposed with its said third prong to the left-hand side of the other prongs, the third prong will be folded in the line of motion of the slide by contact with the slide at the apex portion of its V- shaped cut-away while the other prongs are folded inwardly by the fingers 12a.

If it should be desired to fold prongs inwardly in a plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of the garment pocket rather than in a plane normal to such axis as described with reference to FIGURES 9 to 12, this can be achieved by a guide and slide combination as shown by FIGURES 13 to 15. The back-plate support blade 4d here shown is similar to that used in the tools shown by the earlier figures but the prong-folding slide 12d is formed with an aperture 12b. The slide initially occupies the position shown in FIGURE 15a in which the aperture 12b is directly below the location of the backplate. Once the hook component has been brought into position the slide 12d is reciprocated for folding the prongs. The slide first moves forwardly into the position shown in FIGURE 15b to cause the rear prong to be folded by the portion of the slide at one end of the aperture 12b and then moves rearwardly over a greater distance to cause the other prong to be folded by the portion of the slide at the other end of aperture 12b. The slide 12d is then returned to its initial position.

FIGURE 16 shows a further type of book component and associated back-plate. In this case the hook component H has three prongs in triangular formation, viz: two abreast front prongs 1 and a central rear prong 2. Contrary to the type of hook shown in FIGURE 2 however the prongs 1 of the hook shown in FIGURE 16 fold rearwardly and the central prong 2 folds forwardly.

Hook components as shown in FIGURE 16 can be applied by a tool basically similar to the tool described with reference to FIGURE 3 but having its pronged component holders slightly modified in shape to accommodate the different design of hook component and having as its composite cantilever arm a back-plate support and prong-folding slide as shown by FIGURE 17. The blade .e of this arm comprises a channelled guideway similar to blade 4 of the arm shown in FIGURE 5, but there is a top plate 32 which is secured to the channelled member and bridges the guideway therein. This top plate is formed with apertures of a size and shape such that they will accommodate and positively locate two backplates 3e (FIGURE 16) and positively locate them against lateral or forward displacement. When in position, the back-plates rest on the side portions of the blade channel. For folding the hook prongs the forward end of the slide 122 is shaped wtih two laterally projecting portions 33 and a central slot 34. As the hook component on the front holder of a tool head moves into position with its prongs penetrating the back-plate and extending into the blade channels, the two forward prongs 1 move alongside the rear edges of the portions 33 and the central prong 2 moves alongside the rear end wall of the slot 34. As in the case of the tool shown in FIGURE 3, the slide then receives a forward movement and a subsequent larger rearward movement. In the forward movement the central prong 2 isjfolded forwardly against the backplate by the rear end wall of the slot 34 and in the subsequent rearward movement of the slide the prongs 1 are folded rearwardly by the laterally projecting portions 33. At a more rearward position, appropriate to the spacing at which two of the hook components are held by a said tool head, the slide 12a is shaped to provide further laterally spaced edges extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the slide and a further slot, for folding the prongs of a second component simultaneously with the first.

It is to be noted that when using a cantilever arm which positively locates a back-plate against forward movement during the prong-folding operation, as does the top plate 32 of the arm shown in FIGURE 17, it is not necessary for the pronged component holder to resist the forward thrust exerted on the pronged component by the prong-folding slide. This means that the front plate 11 on a pronged component holder of the kind shown in FIGURE 4 can if desired be dispensed with.

FIGURE 18 illustrates how a tool with operating mechanism as shown in FIGURE 3 can be modified for power operation. A lever 35 is secured at one end to shaft 21 carrying cam 20 and the other end of the lever is coupled to the piston rod 36 of the commercially available Martonair pneumatic piston and cylinder unit 37. The two cylinder spaces on opposite sides of the piston are coupled with a high-pressure air line 38 through an automatic reversing valve 39 and lines 40, 41. On actuation of a control switch (not shown) the valve 39 admits air under pressure to the lower end of the unit 37 so as to turn the shaft 21 and advance the prong-folding slide in one direction. Meanwhile air evacuates to the valve 39 through line 41 and, after a predetermined piston displacement, trips the valve so that air is then admitted to the unit 37 through line 41 and evacuated through line 40 and the required reverse movement of the slide takes place.

FIGURE 19 shows part of another tool according to the invention for applying pronged hook components of the general form shown in FIGURE 7 to pockets of cloth or other material. The tool may be regarded as comprising an upper head with a pronged component holder similar to the head of the tools shown in FIGURES 3 and 18, the head being movable towards and away from a composite cantilever arm part of which is shown in FIGURE 19. The cantilever arm comprises a rectangular section bar 4] with two longitudinally extending parallel bores through which a pair of spindles 42 extend. Each spindle carries a finger 43 and the fingers 43 are accommodated in a recess 44 in the bar. The side walls of this recess portion are formed with locating recesses 13 for a back-plate. In use, a back-plate is located on the arm, the pronged component holder is loaded, a pocket is drawn over the arm 4 and the tool is operated. In this operation, the pronged component is moved downwardly as in the operation of the tools previously described to cause the two prongs of the hook component to penetrate the work and travel past the back-plate and then the spindles 42 receive a partial rotation in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows so that the fingers 43 move inwardly against the prongs and fold them upwardly against the back-plate. The spindles can be oscillated through meshing gears (not shown) located at the inner end of the arm, either under manual or powered control.

FIGURE 20 shows part of a flat-bed type of tool according to the invention. The drawing shows only those parts of which a description is required for a clear understanding of the tool function. The tool, which is designed for applying pronged hook components as shown in FIGURE 16, is provded with an upper tool head (not shown) comprising a pronged component holder which is movable towards and away from a flat-work support plate 45. The pronged component holder can e.g. be similar to that shown in FIGURE 4, with or without the modifications thereof hereinbefore described. The work support plate 45 is screwed to a support 46 in the top of which a guideway 47 is formed. The work plate 45 is formed with an aperture 48 for receiving and locating a backplate for a pronged component and when in position such back-plate rests on the sides of the guideway 47. Within the guideway a slide 12g is reciprocatable. The end portion of this slide is formed in precisely the same way as the end portion of the guide shown in FIGURE 17, and the mechanism for operating the slide can be precisely as described hereinbefore with reference to FIGURE 3 or FIGURE 18. A pair of work guides 49 are adjustably secured to the Work plate 45 by a clamp screw 51 These guides are pre-set in accordance with the work to be performed so that location of the Work edges against the guides prior to operation of the tool ensures that the pronged component will be applied at the correct position on the work.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for applying a pronged component and a back plate receiving the prongs of said component to a pocket of a flexible material, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a machine frame, a tool head having an end movably connected with said machine frame, a cantilever arm carried by said machine frame and having an unsupported free end adapted to extend into said pocket, said tool head having another end extending over the free end of said arm, at least one holder for the pronged component, said holder being carried by said other end of the tool head, said free end of the arm having a portion facing said holder and adapted to carry the back plate receiving the pronged component carried by said holder, said arm further having a guideway extending in the longitudinal direction of the arm and including said portion, a slide movably mounted in said guideway and having prong-folding surfaces, a cam rotatably mounted in said machine frame, a leverage connecting said cam with said tool head and operable by rotation of said cam to move said tool head toward said arm and cause the prongs of the pronged component carried by said holder to penetrate through a layer of the pocket enclosing said free end and through the back plate carried by said free end, and another leverage connecting said cam with said slide and operable by a further rotation of said cam to reciprocate said slide, said surfaces of the slide engaging the prongs of said component during the reciprocation of the slide and folding them against said back plate.

2. An apparatus for applying a component having prongs foldable in different directions and a back plate receiving the folded prongs of said component to a pocket of a flexible material, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a machine frame, a tool head having an end pivotlly connected with said machine frame, a cantilever arm carried by said machine frame and having an unsupported free end adapted to extend into said pocket, said tool head having another end extending over the free end of said arm, at least one holder for the pronged component, said holder being carried by said other end of the tool head, said free end of the arm having a portion facing said holder and adapted to carry the back plate receiving the pronged component carried by said holder, said arm further having a guideway extending in the longitudinal direction of the arm and including said portion, a slide movably mounted in said guideway and having outer surfaces for folding prongs in one direction and inner recessed surfaces for receiving and folding other prongs in an opposite direction, a cam rotatably mounted in said machine frame, a leverage connecting said cam with said tool head and operable by rotation of said cam to move said tool head toward said arm and cause the prongs of the pronged component carried by said holder to penetrate through a layer of the pocket enclosing said free end and through the back plate carried by said free end and to place some of the prongs adjacent the outer surfaces of the slide and other prongs adjacent the inner surfaces of said slide, and another leverage connecting said cam with said slide and operable by a further rotation of said cam to move said slide forwardly from an inoperative position and cause its outer surfaces to hold some of the prongs, them move said slide rearwardly to cause its inner surfaces to fold other prongs and then move the slide to said inoperative position.

3. An apparatus for applying a pronged component and a back plate receiving the prongs of said component to a pocket of a flexible material, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a machine frame, a tool head having an end pivotally connected with said machine frame, a cantilever arm carried by said machine frame and having an unsupported free end adapted to extend into said pocket, said tool head having another end extending over the free end of said arm, at least one holder for the pronged component said holder being carried by said other end of the tool head, said free end of the arm having a portion facing said holder and adapted to carry the back plate receiving the pronged component carried by said holder, said arm further having a guideway extending in the longitudinal direction of the arm and including said portion, a slide movably mounted in said guideway and having prongfolding surfaces, a cam rotatably mounted in said machine frame, a lever having one end pivoted to said machine frame and another end engaging said cam, another lever having one end pivoted to said machine frame and another end pivoted to the first-mentioned lever intermediate the ends thereof, a rotation of said cam causing said levers to move said tool head toward said arm and cause the prongs of the pronged component carried by said holder to penetrate through a layer of the pocket enclosing said free end and through the back plate carried by said free end, a curved arm, a pivot pin carried by the machine frame and supporting one end of the curved arm, said curved arm having an inner curved slot, a pin carried by said cam and extending into said slot and an articulated jointing connecting said curved arm with said slide, a further rotation of said cam and the pin carried by the cam causing said curved arm and said jointing to reciprocate said slide, said surfaces of the slide engaging the 1 1 12 prongs of said component during the reciprocation of the 2,697,221 12/1954 Brayton 1325 X slide and folding them against said back plate. 2,794,981 6/ 1957 Brayton 1325 2,998,609 9/1961 Wood 1325 Refeliences Cited by tlgaAExamililser FOREIGN PATENTS UN TED STATES TEN 5 709,278 5/1954 Great Britain. 1,062,874 5/ 1913 Bevgler X 727,499 4/1955 Great Britain. 1,468,310 9/1923 Nolan 1255 X 372 913 6 1942 Francg, 1,675,004 6/1928 Tabor 1255 X 2,180,484 11/ 1939 Sims 1255 GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, 111., Primary Examiner.

2,481,023 9/1949 Kirby 1253 10 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A PRONGED COMPONENT AND A BACK PLATE RECEIVING THE PRONGS OF SAID COMPONENT TO A POCKET OF A FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MACHINE FRAME, A TOOL HEAD HAVING AN END MOVABLY CONNECTED WITH SAID MACHINE FRAME, A CANTILEVER ARM CARRIED BY SAID MACHINE FRAME AND HAVING AN UNSUPPORTED FREE END ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO SAID POCKET, SAID TOOL HEAD HAVING ANOTHER END EXTENDING OVER THE FREE END OF SAID ARM, AT LEAST ONE HOLDER FOR THE PRONGED COMPONENT, SAID HOLDER BEING CARRIED BY SAID OTHER END OF THE TOOL HEAD, SAID FREE END OF THE ARM HAVING A PORTION FACING SAID HOLDER AND ADAPTED TO CARRY THE BACK PLATE RECEIVING THE PRONGED COMPONENT CARRIED BY SAID HOLDER, SAID ARM FURTHER HAVING A GUIDEWAY EXTENDING IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE ARM AND INCLUDING SAID PORTION, A SLIDE MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDEWAY AND HAVING PRONG-FOLDING SURFACES, A CAM ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID MACHINE FRAME, A LEVERAGE CONNECTING SAID CAM WITH SAID TOOL HEAD AND OPERABLE BY ROTATION OF SAID CAM TO MOVE SAID TOOL HEAD TOWARD SAID ARM AND CAUSE THE PRONGS OF THE PRONGED COMPONENT CARRIED BY SAID HOLDER TO PENETRATE THROUGH A LAYER OF THE POCKET ENCLOSING SAID FREE END AND THROUGH THE BACK PLATE CARRIED BY SAID FREE END, AND ANOTHER LEVERAGE CONNECTING SAID CAM WITH SAID SLIDE AND OPERABLE BY A FURTHER ROTATION OF SAID CAM TO RECIPROCATE SAID SLIDE, SAID SURFACES OF THE SLIDE ENGAGING THE PRONGS OF SAID COMPONENT DURING THE RECIPROCATION OF THE SLIDE AND FOLDING THEM AGAINST SAID BACK PLATE. 